It’s a boy! Meet little Moja, the Fort Worth Zoo’s first lion cub birth since 2015.
.jpg "The Fort Worth Zoo announced Thursday that a male lion cub named Moja was born Oct. 20.")
Say hello to Moja.
The Fort Worth Zoo announced Thursday that the male lion cub was born Oct. 20 — the zoo’s first cub birth since 2015 — in the new Predators of Asia & Africa habitat that opened last summer.
Moja (“mow-jah”) was only 2.7 pounds days after his birth but is now 16 pounds at nearly three months. He is his mother Saba’s first cub, which is how he got his name — moja is Swahili for “one.”
“For the last few months, Moja has been behind the scenes growing and bonding with Mom, while keepers have kept a close eye on his development and well-being,” the zoo said in its announcement of the birth.
“The littlest lion is starting to practice some innate behaviors, as he often plays with Saba’s tail as well as chews on her hindquarters to imitate predator-prey behaviors. As a first-time mother, Saba is exhibiting ideal maternal demeanors, including allowing frequent nursing opportunities, bathing, playing with and carrying the cub as she moves about the den.”
It wasn’t long ago that the zoo announced another happy birth — the remarkably rare hatching of four critically endangered gharial crocodiles.
Moja hasn’t yet met his father, Jabulani, or the zoo’s other adult female, Abagabe.
You won’t be able to meet Moja, either, until he gets a little bigger and the weather allows for an outdoor schedule.
Fort Worth Zoo is part of a breeding program among other zoos to share genetically diverse lineage for the vulnerable African lions. The zoo’s three adult lions were born at a South African wildlife facility and came to Fort Worth Zoo in 2012. Their arrival introduced new genes in North America.
“The birth of Moja is both a conservation success and another advancement in diversifying the African lion bloodline in the United States,” the zoo said.
.jpg "Moja 3 (1).jpg")
